Running Wild by Linda Howard and Linda Jones
The Men from Battle Ridge, Book 1
Ballantine Books
Contemporary
ISBN: 978-0-345-52078-4
Reviewed by Vanessa

After a couple of dates with a seemingly nice guy, Carlin Reed discovers she should always trust her instincts and flees town. When this madman gets a little too close to Carlin and she loses a friend, she takes matters seriously and goes underground. Carlin has landed in Battle Ridge, Wyoming, but she doesn’t plan to stay long. Obtaining a housekeeper/cook job for a sexy cowboy wasn’t on her list of things to do, but Carlin could use the money and the out of the way ranch seems like a godsend.

Zeke takes on Carlin as a housekeeper/cook despite his better judgment. He soon realizes that there is more to her story than he originally thought, and his protective instincts are making an appearance where she is concerned. Zeke convinces himself that it will only be for the short term, but he soon finds that he is more involved than he originally thought. Of course, the past has a way of catching up with a person and soon Carlin has to make a choice: stay in Battle Ridge taking a stand, or flee to protect her new found friends.

The premise of Running Wild intrigued me from the beginning. I had to know how the story would play out with Carlin’s past making a reappearance in her life and whether or not she had to rely upon a man to save the day. The first few pages dragged for me a bit in Running Wild, however when the story quickly took up with Carlin and her problems, I was engrossed in Running Wild .

The thoughts and dialogue coming from Zeke sounded spot on for a male cowboy, and I loved the snappy bantering between him and Carlin in Running Wild. I half expected more action to comprise the interaction between Carlin and Zeke, too. However, the story seemed to bog down a bit with day to day duties, but that just showed that Carlin doesn’t give up too easily. I did like that Carlin seemed to stay true to her character and Zeke was a great macho hero in Running Wild. The secondary characters just added to the richness of Running Wild and moved the story along as well. The off-the-grid living that Carlin had to figure out was interesting as well and further showed the adaptability of this great heroine who learns to stand for herself.

Running Wild had some nail-bitingly intense scenes between the covers, but none more so than when the past emerges for Carlin and the reader wonders will she or won’t she.

On a side note, I am wondering about this Never Fail White Cake that Carlin made for the men at the ranch. I’m wondering if there is some irony in that title. LOL!